Natick: Public split over what do with Sawin House, Shaw Park

Tuesday

Jun 10, 2014 at 12:01 AMJun 23, 2014 at 3:32 PM

By Brian BensonDaily News Staff

NATICK – Members of the public Monday agreed that it's important to preserve and celebrate Natick's rich history, but disagreed on a proposal to reconstruct a historic home in South Natick's Shaw Park.Some argued moving the Sawin House would take the home away from its historical location on South Street in Mass. Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary and take away open space, while others said it would make it easeir to tap into the town's history and protect at least part of a building that may otherwise continue to deteriorate.Resident Diane Young said "it means more to sit there or stand there and look at the real scene."Ginny Lyster, a local teacher, said she would love to take students inside the house if it were in Shaw Park."Natick has lost some of the best old houses it ever had because no one wanted them," Lyster said.In this case, the private, non-profit Natick Historical Society wants the home and has raised about a quarter of the $750,000 needed to move and reassemble a section of the home resembling its early 1700s appearance. That money would also fund an endowment to cover maintenance.Terri Evans, a society board member, told more than 50 people gathered at a forum at the Community-Senior Center that relocating the house provides a chance to save some of its elements.And, it could help tell the story of Natick's "early settlement period as a Praying Indian town in the days of the Sawin family coming together to establish a corn and grist mill invited by the Praying Indians."Evans said the building, which could provide space for exhibits and research, would be about 980 square feet in a roughly 34,000-square-foot park. It would be sited in a way that maintains space in front of and to the side of the house for traditional uses of the park. Recreation and Parks Director Jon Marshall said the park is used primarily for passive recreation with some events such as art exhibits.But, resident Randy Johnson said with a building on the park, the remaining open space essentially becomes the building's yard.Ken Soderholm, who lives in South Natick and serves on the society's board, said if the building remains on South Street, it will be a total loss. But, moving it would at least save part of the building and bring more people to an underused park, he said.George Sawin, whose ancestors built the home, and Chief Caring Hands, encouraged officials to keep the home in its context of its land and pressure Mass. Audubon to preserve the home where it is.Sawin said the native people, Europeans and the land "formed a symbiotic relationship."The chief, a Natick Praying Indian leader whose given name is Rosita Andrews, encouraged people to remember that whatever decision is made affects their grandchildren and hers.A group called the Friends of Shaw Park presented its own version of a way to spruce up the park without the house by better landscaping, adding benches and a sign and other improvements.John Moran, who lives on Eliot Street near Shaw Park, said he sees moving the building to Shaw Park as a win-win."We save a building that right now is (facing) demolition by neglect," Moran said. "It would also make Shaw Park better utilized."Brian Benson can be reached at 508-626-3964 or bbenson@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @bbensonmwdn.

What should Natick do with Sawin House? Vote now by going to natick.wickedlocal.com and looking down the right side of the page. The poll will remain up until the afternoon of Monday, June 30.